Razor-strop.



F. J. TOMEK.

RAZOR STROP.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.15, 1913.

1,1 1 1, 73, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

WITNESSES: IJV' VEN T 01:.

THE NOIQRIS PErERs C0. PHOTO-Ll rHOU WASHINGTON, 1.).(7.

' citizen of the United FRANK J. TOMEK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAZOR-STROP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed September 15, 1913. Serial N 0. 789,821.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. TOMEK, States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Strops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in razor-strops; and it consists in the novel construction of strop more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my razor-strop in actual service, and held taut in the hands of the person shaving; Fig. 2 is a side or edge view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a similar section of the strop when not under tension; Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6'is a cross section on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to construct a strop whichwill impart a sharp edge to a razor by the stropping of the razor over the strop at right angles to the length of the strop, thereby avoiding the necessity of passing the razor at an angle tothe aXis of the strop to secure such cutting edge, as is now necessary with the majority of strops, it being Well known that a diagonal or angular passage of the .blade over the strop often results in the cutting of the strop,

particularly at the side edges thereof.

The advantages of my present improvement will fully appear from a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows :-Referring to the drawings, 1, represents a strop provided with the usual outer terminal loop 2 and an inner terminal handle 3 well understood in the art. The strop is usually fiat as shown in cross-section in Fig. 4, but when the loop 2 is attached to a hook it and the strop is stretched preparatory to stropping the razor R, the tension imposed on the strop causes the edges thereof to curve upward as shown in the crosssection in Fig. 3, and in side view in Fig. 2; and when the razor is passed over the strop only those portions of the razor edge which bear against the turned up portions of the strop are sharpened, leaving the medial portions of the razor edge unaffected, unless strop (by a of the'strop as shown.

whereby the entire length the person shaving. passes the blade at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the strop, when there arises the danger of cutting the strop, Inthe present embodiment of in lnvention, I provide the innersection of the inner meaning the section adjacent the handle 3 in the hands of the person shaving) with side flanges or lips a between which is fastened or stitched on the underside of the strop, a sheet of fabric I) (felt, or equivalent soft pliable material) serving a filler, said filler being preferably unconnected to the body of thestrop. The handle 3 may be of leather or equivalent material and isherein shown as composed of two layers m, a, (Fig. 6) between which the inner terminal of the strop 1 is re ceived, there being interposed between the layers m and Z, a metal or equivalent rigid reinforcing plate 4 arched. or bowed outwardly in a plane transverse to the length The arching or bowing ofthe plate 4 as indicated imparts an arched or outwardly conveXed curvature to the inner section of the strop, or that section occupied by portion extending substantially from the plate 1- to the outer end of the filler Z) or approximately between the points m a" in Fig. 1. tion is greatest over the plate 4, and gradually decreases as it approaches the point '0' where it practically disappears, merging with the outer fiat section of the strop, said fiat section extending from w to the outer finishing lobe 5 of the strop.

It will be seen from the foregoing, and by reference to Fig. 1, that as the blade is passed over thev strop (at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the strop), the outer portions of the edge of the blade will be sharpened in their passage over the fiat section of the strop, the medial portion of the cutting edge encountering the bowed or arched section between of the razor edge is sharpened by a simple back and forth movement of the blade over the strop, without the necessity of changing the angularity of the blade relatively to the strop axis.

its passage over the strop is first acted on by the marginal portions of the flat section of the strop (which tends to curl up at the edges when under tension as previously described) after which it encounters the upthe .filler b, said arched- The convexity of this arched sec-.

yso

the points m-aa,

It follows from the foregoing that the blade in wardly bowed portion between the points ccm, and in this way the entire edge is sharpened without changing the angle of the blade, and hence avoiding the danger of cutting the strop by any change in the angular disposition ofthe blade. The filler .7) while yielding, is at the same time held taut between the flanges or lips a, a, to which it is secured and thusserves to maintain the integrity of the arch in the strop between the points w-aa as described. Any other and equivalent means for imparting an arch to a section of the strop may of course be employed; neither does the arched section necessarilyhave to be located adj acent the handle 3, but it may beat the opposite end, or in fact, occupy an intermediate position without affecting the nature or spirit of the invention.

The strop may be a leather or equivalent member, the composition or material entering into the construction thereof being I immaterial.

In referring to the arching orbowing being trans'verse to the length of the strop,

what is meant is that a transverse section of the bowed portion is an arch, and not a longitudinal section.

Having described my invention, what I claim isz- 1. A razor-strop comprising a member having a normally flat portion and an adjacent portion forming an extension continued in the direction of the flat portion and arched transversely to the longitudinal axis of the strop, the arch of the extension merging with the flat portion.

'- 2. A razor-strop comprising a strop having a substantially flat portion, a handle at one end of the strop, a rigid member secured to the handle and to one end of the strop and bowed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the strop, suitable marginal flanges formed on the strop between the bowed member and the flat portion of the strop, a soft pliable filler spanning the space between the flanges and secured to said flanges, the portion of the strop opposite the filler being bowed or arched transversely and merging with the fiat portion of the strop.

3. A razor-strop comprising a strop having a substantially fiat stropping surface, and a contiguous stropping surface bowed transversely to and merging with the flat surface, both surfaces facing in the same direction.

A. A razor-strop comprising a substantially flat section, an adjacent section forming an extension thereof in the same direction and arched transversely the length of the strop, and a filler for maintaining the arch in said arched section.

5. A razor-strop having a substantially flat section, an adjacent transversely bowed section alining therewith, the stropping surface of the bowed section facing in the same direction with the stropping surface of the flat section, marginal flanges on the bowed section, and a taut member or filler connecting the flanges and maintaining the arch in the bowed section.

6. A razor-strop comprising a member having a stropping surface facing in one direction, one portion of said surface being substantially flat, and another contiguous portion being bowed transversely to the length of the strop.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. TOMEK.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, FANN'IE E. WEBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

